6/25/18
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Cursed
Chapter Twenty Nine: Final Exam
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"The HIVE Academy For Extraordinary Young People is proud to introduce this year's top graduates."
I've never liked watching videos of myself. The concept of having an entire chunk of your life preserved forever for everyone who sees it to dwell on your every mistake, is just too much for me. At least when you're not being recorded, there's a chance that people will forget about all the stupid things you've said or done. Videos are a constant reminder.
However, this video is different. This is the video we spent hours on, taking cut after cut to ensure its perfection. Heavily scripted, it was made directly for Slade himself in hope of gaining his favor. The soothing voice of one of our teachers provides the narration, gently guiding our future employer through a list of our various powers and skills. I watch in admiration as my team flawlessly maneuvers the obstacle course, and I feel a burst of pride when I look back on all the work we put into the video.
We're too far away to see Slade, and even if we were closer I doubt we would be able to see him very well. He and Headmistress stand lurking in the shadows, wordlessly critiquing our video. I almost forgot that this was Headmistress's first time seeing it as well. A pang of worry settles in my stomach, and I try desperately to chase it away.
As the video comes to an end, the screen changes to an image of the school crest. Headmistress's voice carries through Slade's lair, and I do my best to calm my emotions.
"Well, Mr. Slade?"
There's a hesitance, before Slade dryly makes a comment.
"Impressive. Truly. However, robots and obstacle courses only prove so much."
The sound of footsteps thudding against the catwalk echoes through the room as our beloved Headmistress leads Slade to our platform. He continues talking, locking eyes with me the moment he comes into view.
"My plans demand operatives who can function in the real world. If your students are going to serve me, they'll have to pass one final exam."
He narrows his one visible eye, sending shivers down my spine.
"Destroy the Teen Titans, and then we'll talk."
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"Good. I was wondering when you'd get a real job."
I glare at Leo, leaning against a tree. Slade's words echo through my mind like a broken record, and I find myself feeling more defensive than usual. "Maybe I wanted to actually be prepared for the real world instead of taking the easy way out."
My boyfriend of nearly four years doesn't seem as offended as I thought he would be. Instead of lashing out like he usually does, he rolls his eyes behind his goggles and takes a seat on the grass a few feet away from me.
"If I didn't drop out, I'd be in the same boat as you. Struggling to impress people whose opinions don't even matter instead of getting out in the real world and making a name for myself," he says with a smirk.
I roll my own eyes now, playing with a blade of grass. There are several legitimate reasons to drop out of high school. Leo's was not one of them.
"I'm just worried about actually killing them," I sigh, plucking the blade from the dirt. "It's not like I haven't killed before, but..."
Leo waves his hand dismissively. "You'll do great, Lucky. You're finally on the path to becoming a real villain. You should be proud."
He smiles at me, and my heart flutters.
"You're right," I sigh. "I'm just nervous."
"It's like I always say. You're bad luck. Good was never an option for you. And if you can't be good, you'll do a heck of a job at being bad."
He laughs, tossing his head back. I smile and try to laugh along, but I still feel like something just isn't right.
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Hi again! Thank you so much for being patient with me! June has been a stressful month, much like 2018 has been a stressful year, and I haven't had the time or energy to focus on writing lately. I can't promise that the rest of the summer will be any better, but I've been in a much better place mentally since getting back from church camp, which will probably help. It's like the clouds are still in the sky, but they're not covering the sun anymore if you know what I mean. Even though there's still a lot of crap coming up that I don't want to deal with, I'll be okay.
It's worth noting that we've almost reached one of my favorite parts of the story. I did some research for the upcoming chapters, and I found an existing character from the comics who is a nearly perfect fit for Jinx's biological mother. I'm pretty excited about this, since I originally thought I would have to create an entirely new character. There's a few details about her that need changed, and I need to read the series she's from to get context for certain things, but over all I think I've added a really nice element to my Jinx's backstory that I can't wait to share with you guys!
Thank you Shiranai Atsune, Loftcat27, nomnomthegreat, lifeguard15, KnightLawn, Devil'sAdvocate2018, Silver-Infinite, DragonSuper, Myusikya, and PaintedSpade for following/reviewing/adding to your favorites, as well as all my readers. Seriously, you guys are awesome!
Quote of the day!
"That's actually terrible."
"Thanks, I learned it from my choir teacher telling me never to do it."
-my friend after making the loudest screeching sound ever in the history of anything
May the odds be ever in your favor,
~Spectrobes Princess